# Nifong claims unfair treatment by NC bar, subtitled The dog ate my law license **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 16, 2007, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nifong-claims-unfair-treatment-by-nc-bar-subtitled-the-dog-ate-my-law-license/415824 "2007-08-16T16:30:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nifong-claims-unfair-treatment-by-nc-bar-subtitled-the-dog-ate-my-law-license/415824/21 "2007-08-16T21:47:34Z")
I already know how to be a Traffic Court defense attorney: “Your honor, my client regrets having driven 45 in a 30 miles per hour zone and requests that, as this is her first moving violation in 20 years of driving, she be granted court supervision.” “Your honor, because the arresting officer is in the courtroom, my client requests a continance until such time that the officer is on vacation or is otherwise too busy to come to court.” Can I be a District Attorney now? ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nifong-claims-unfair-treatment-by-nc-bar-subtitled-the-dog-ate-my-law-license/415824/22 "2007-08-16T21:57:30Z")
[QUOTE=Tranquilis] For certain values of ‘function,’ anyway. As a traffic prosecutor, he could function. Hell, _I_ could do _that_ job… What the hell he thought he was doing trying anything more difficult than that, I have no idea… [/QUOTE] I’m not defending Nifong, but the lead-up below, which **Contrapuntal** has already spoken to, is why I’m questioning the change in him. From _The New Yorker_ (Sept. 4, 2006) (hope it’s not too much for “fair use”): "On Monday, March 27th [2006] . . . , Michael B. Nifong, publicly associated himself with the case for the first time. Nifong was virtually unknown in Durham, despite having spent twenty-seven years in the prosecutor’s office, but among attorneys _he had the reputation of being a fair and capable prosecutor_ (“_probably the best lawyer in that office_,” the Durham defense attorney Tom Loflin says). Starting out as a volunteer assistant, he worked his way up to assistant district attorney prosecuting homicide and drug cases, and got his share of convictions. Acquaintances say that _Nifong never coveted the top job_; he wasn’t political, and lacked the appetite and the instinct for public campaigning . . . . \*\*In 1999, Nifong learned that he had prostate cancer, and underwent treatment. When he was able to return to work, his boss, District Attorney Jim Hardin, Jr., assigned him to traffic court—a sort of early semi-retirement. \*\* Last year, _when Hardin was appointed to a judgeship, Governor Mike Easley appointed Nifong to finish his term. Nifong_, who was just a few years short of reaching his thirty-year mark, _subsequently announced that he would run for a full term in the spring_ . . . ." [emphasis mine] ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nifong-claims-unfair-treatment-by-nc-bar-subtitled-the-dog-ate-my-law-license/415824/23 "2007-08-16T21:58:02Z")
[QUOTE=Humble Servant] I dunno–I think he was just playing it safe in giving an explanation for why the license he was turning in was mutilated. Didn’t want them to think he defaced it on purpose in disrespect of the order. [/QUOTE] Yeah - maybe Nifong _did_ chew up the license out of frustration or disrespect. DNA testing and bitemark analysis are in order. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nifong-claims-unfair-treatment-by-nc-bar-subtitled-the-dog-ate-my-law-license/415824/24 "2007-08-16T22:09:21Z")
[QUOTE=5-4-Fighting] \*\*In 1999, Nifong learned that he had prostate cancer, and underwent treatment. When he was able to return to work, his boss, District Attorney Jim Hardin, Jr., assigned him to traffic court—a sort of early semi-retirement. \*\* . . . ." [emphasis mine] [/QUOTE] So, he spends what, four, five years chasing auto accidencts and speeders, then suddenly decides that he’s ready to step back into the spotlight? That’s a _stupid_ call. Especially when he had a office _full_ of better-qualified, _current_ prosecutors who could handle the case. IOW, he wasn’t functioning. Not as a DA _should_, that’s for sure. Not even as a _smart_ politician should. The only purpose was as grand-stand play so he could run for the office that, IIRC, he’d previously agreed to _not_ run for when appointed. That’s not ‘functioning,’ that’s raw greed. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nifong-claims-unfair-treatment-by-nc-bar-subtitled-the-dog-ate-my-law-license/415824/25 "2007-08-16T22:10:52Z")
Is anybody else a little bit bothered by the level of RO directed toward Nifong versus other instances of prosecutorial misconduct or run of the mill miscarriages of justice? Not that it’s actual evidence of anything, but… [Tulia](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/search.php?searchid=2771790): 52 posts [Nifong](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/search.php?searchid=2771784): 447 posts I’m not saying Nifong isn’t a douchebag, but the discrepancy in the amount of vitriol kinda makes me go “Hmmmm…” ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nifong-claims-unfair-treatment-by-nc-bar-subtitled-the-dog-ate-my-law-license/415824/26 "2007-08-16T22:14:45Z")
[QUOTE=Tranquilis] So, he spends what, four, five years chasing auto accidencts and speeders, then suddenly decides that he’s ready to step back into the spotlight? That’s a _stupid_ call. Especially when he had a office _full_ of better-qualified, _current_ prosecutors who could handle the case. IOW, he wasn’t functioning. Not as a DA _should_, that’s for sure. Not even as a _smart_ politician should. The only purpose was as grand-stand play so he could run for the office that, IIRC, he’d previously agreed to _not_ run for when appointed. That’s not ‘functioning,’ that’s raw greed. [/QUOTE] I’m not disagreeing with you or defending Nifong; I’m just _commenting_ on the fact the for such an under-the-radar career up that point, he sure went to the other extreme. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nifong-claims-unfair-treatment-by-nc-bar-subtitled-the-dog-ate-my-law-license/415824/27 "2007-08-16T22:17:35Z")
[QUOTE=5-4-Fighting] I’m not disagreeing with you or defending Nifong; I’m just _commenting_ on the fact the for such an under-the-radar career up that point, he sure went to the other extreme. [/QUOTE] Well, there, you certainly have my agreement. I think we all understand _why_ he did it. But he damned well should have known better. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2007, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nifong-claims-unfair-treatment-by-nc-bar-subtitled-the-dog-ate-my-law-license/415824/28 "2007-08-17T01:25:51Z")
[QUOTE=black rabbit] Is anybody else a little bit bothered by the level of RO directed toward Nifong versus other instances of prosecutorial misconduct or run of the mill miscarriages of justice? [/QUOTE] This no doubt derives from the enormous amount of media attention that the Duke Lacrosse case attracted. And the person who did the most to pander to that attention? … [envelope, please] … Why, it’s Mike Nifong! ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2007, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nifong-claims-unfair-treatment-by-nc-bar-subtitled-the-dog-ate-my-law-license/415824/29 "2007-08-17T05:17:57Z")
[QUOTE=black rabbit] Is anybody else a little bit bothered by the level of RO directed toward Nifong versus other instances of prosecutorial misconduct or run of the mill miscarriages of justice? Not that it’s actual evidence of anything, but… [Tulia](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/search.php?searchid=2771790): 52 posts [Nifong](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/search.php?searchid=2771784): 447 posts I’m not saying Nifong isn’t a douchebag, but the discrepancy in the amount of vitriol kinda makes me go “Hmmmm…” [/QUOTE] This is the sort of horseshit which makes me very crazy. I posted a beef about one shitstain, but because I didn’t give equal consideration to a shitstain of a different color, I’m a bad guy? This isn’t recreational outrage, whatever that stupid phrase is supposed to mean. Tell ya what. Let’s set up an equal opportunity Pit Committee so that any complaint about a public individual who has their head up their ass isn’t misrepresented disproportionately based upon the registered member demographic of The Straight Dope. Is that fair? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2007, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nifong-claims-unfair-treatment-by-nc-bar-subtitled-the-dog-ate-my-law-license/415824/30 "2007-08-17T06:54:00Z")
Definately NOT ‘RO.’ Nifong seriously damaged race relations in the community, pretty thoroughly fucked up the lives of three young men, and cast law enforcement in a horrible light. The damage he’s done will take years to undo, if indeed all of it _can_ be undone. ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2007, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nifong-claims-unfair-treatment-by-nc-bar-subtitled-the-dog-ate-my-law-license/415824/31 "2007-08-17T13:37:13Z")
[QUOTE=Stealth Potato] So, wait. Was he complaining that his law license had been chewed by a puppy when he received it, or was he merely bemoaning the fact that he had himself allowed it subsequently to be so chewed? 'Cause I’ve got this hilarious mental image of somebody smuggling a puppy into the North Carolina Bar Association office that I’d rather not part with, thank you very much. [/QUOTE] Me too. With “Axel F” as the background music. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nifong-claims-unfair-treatment-by-nc-bar-subtitled-the-dog-ate-my-law-license/415824.md?page=1)